


I'll Be Home For Christmas

by wekingsandprettythings



Series: Christmas fics [2]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Presents, Family Fluff, M/M, Skype
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 17:59:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17146424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wekingsandprettythings/pseuds/wekingsandprettythings
Summary: 4 days with Phil's family on the Isle of Man, 5 days apart. Christmas was always hard for them but this was the last year it would be like this.





	I'll Be Home For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> shout out to shelby for editing this <3

Christmas with the Lesters was something Dan had come to love, although he’d never spent the actual day of Christmas with them the lead up was just as wonderful. Be it him taking the train to Manchester the first year to spend a week with them or taking a car over with Phil when they lived in Manchester together. All the way to now, flying in with Phil and Martyn and Cornelia all the way to the Isle of Man. A lot had changed in 9 years but the love he had for all the Lesters sure as hell didn’t.

Walking into Phil’s parents’ house was wonderful, it took them back to all those times Dan would get off a train just for them to take a bus back. Walking through the doors together knowing they were home and together after a long time apart felt wonderful, and the same feeling returned every time they visited.

Phil’s mum seemed to be getting shorter every time they visited. She’d wrap her arms around them and bury her face in their chests while she hugged the life out of them, saying something about how Dan’s getting too skinny again and she’ll fix that right up with some pies. That she did, dragging him into the kitchen to show off all the baked goods she had made as well as a peak at the roast they were having for dinner.

They drank wine and talked for a bit, playing a round of scrabble and losing horribly to Phil’s mum and dad. They had years more experience with the game than the rest of them. The first night was calm and relaxing, full of laughter and fun times. It set the mood for the rest of the trip.

 

Nights on the Isle were the weirdest for them. They were night owls, they liked to stay up late together but it was awkward when they were in someone else's house. Midnight would roll around at home and they’d be watching a movie or playing video games together. Here however they just lied in bed looking at each other, not saying anything cause the walls were so thin they got told off for Dan’s laugh once.

“This is the only downside of coming here,” Phil whispered.

“I’m not even tired yet.”

“And we didn’t even bring headphones to watch a movie on my laptop,” Phil complained.

They sighed in unison. Phil rolled to lie on his back with his arm thrown over his eyes, Dan moved right into the nook of his neck. “If we pretend to be asleep long enough maybe we’ll actually fall asleep.”

Phil hummed, he always fell asleep easy with Dan’s weight pressed into his side surrounded by his warmth, but then they heard a thump on the wall behind them, the one that connected their room to Martyn’s. And another. And then it became rhythmic. “I’m going to kill them,” Phil spoke.

“Not if I get to them first.” Dan agreed. He sat up and smacked the wall with his fist.

Phil sat up and turned around, he grabbed the headboard and started to yank on it making it hit the wall the same way. “You know,” Dan said grabbing it to help, “there’s another way to make this hit the wall.”

“I don’t want to have a sex competition against my brother Dan. I just want to piss him off,” Phil whispered so they didn’t hear though the wall.

Dan cupped his hands around his mouth and pressed them to the wall, “Fuck Phil,” he fake moaned. Phil smacked him a little too hard on his bare arm making it sound like a slap to which Dan whined.

Sure enough the thumping stopped, then they heard the other bedroom door open and someone go into the hall, Dan got off the bed and went to stand in the hallway near the bathroom door. Martyn was in there for a few minutes, when he returned Dan gave him the biggest smile. “Two minutes mate? I feel bad for Corn.” he joked, passing him to go to the bathroom. It was a weird brotherly love he had for Martyn, he loved to pick on him the way he would if Martyn was his older brother, the way Adrian messes with him.

“Oh, fuck off Dan, we’ve all heard you before,” he shot back in a whisper, “not all of us are into long drawn out foreplay.”

“Unfortunately.” they heard Cornelia say from their room.

Dan couldn’t help but laugh, he just shook his head and went to the bathroom. Back in their room Phil was, smiling on the bed in the same position he was before. On his back with his arm over his head. Dan flicked the lamp off and climbed back into bed. He snuggled right back into Phil.

“I love you.” Phil reminded him.

“I love you too.”

 

Phil woke up early, he went downstairs to see his parents sitting around the kitchen table. His mother had made them both eggs and hollandaise sauce, something him and Martyn never enjoyed. “Good morning,” he said, walking past them and around the counter to make himself some coffee.

“What was going on last night?” his father asked him.

Phil laughed right away, tilting his head back and everything. “Martyn and Cornelia were being a little too loud so me and Dan we’re smacking the wall trying to annoy them and ruin the mood.”

They both laughed too, “It’s nice that you all get on so well.” his mother said.

Phil smiled to himself, pouring the hot water into his mug. “I never thought that one day Martyn and I would own a company with my partner. I never even thought I’d have a partner.”

“You never saw yourself with a wife or husband or anything?” Kath asked.

Phil made his way to the table and sat across from her. “Not really, I thought girls were pretty but I never thought of growing up and having a wife and kids, I always thought I’d be a single.”

“But Dan changed that?” his father asked next. He didn’t think this was how his morning was going.

“Well yeah, it took time though,” he said before taking a sip of his coffee, “I knew he was the love of my life but I didn’t want to get married for the longest time, it just didn’t seem necessary.”

“What about kids?”

He shook his head in amusement and disbelief. “I was wondering how long after asking Cornelia if they were going to give you grandkids that you’d move on to me and Dan.”

“Well?” she prodded.

“Two or three, but not for a few years.” he finally said with a smile.

She was all smiles, “Two or three is what I want,” they heard Dan say from the doorway, “If it was up to Phil we’d be bachelors forever.”

“Well thank goodness for you.” she smiled over to him. Dan walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her for a light squeeze. Phil loved seeing Dan with his family, loving them in a way that was special.

Dan sat beside him, stealing half of Phil’s coffee before making them another mug to share. They knew it would have been easier to make two but they liked sharing. It brought them back to when they were first together. When sharing everything was fun and new.

Martyn and Cornelia came down soon after, giddy as ever with each other making avocado toast in the kitchen. They didn’t have plans for the day, they all just wanted to stay in and watch movies and talk to each other. Exploring was fun but just being in the same room with white noise from the tv was what they loved more. It was also Dan’s last full day there, they just wanted to be together.

They showered together, not wanting to take up 40 minutes each when they knew others needed to use the bathroom was well. It was nice being alone in a place they knew they wouldn’t be bothered. His brother had no problem walking into their bedroom unannounced but he’d never walk into the bathroom on them.

Dan ran his fingers through Phil’s hair, massaging the shampoo into his scalp. It was Phil’s favorite thing, he loved being pampered and he knew Dan loved pampering him. It was a win-win on both parts. He ran the body wash over his body while Dan washed his own hair, he was too tall for Phil to do it comfortably anymore.

They got out and wrapped each other in the nice fluffy brown towels his mum had freshly washed for her children’s visit. Dan sat on the edge of the big tub while Phil shaved, he was an everyday shaver or as Dan called him, ‘a real man’. He didn’t say anything, he just watched. Tilting his head with each movement of the razor and Dan’s head did the same watching him carefully in awe.

They walked carefully back to Phil’s room trying not to slip on the hardwood floor, failing and grabbing the wall for support. “This is why I like carpet.” Phil said in a condescending tone.

“Well, we’re not getting it, and you’ll be showering in the ensuite so you won’t have to walk from another room over to ours dumbass. That’s the best part of building a house is you get what you want.” Dan spat back.

“You’re building a house?” they heard Martyn say from around the corner, scaring them half to death.

“When we’re no longer naked we’ll fill you in on more.” Phil said, waiting for Dan to pass him and be in the bedroom before closing the door leaving Martyn alone in the hallway.

 

Together they sat around the kitchen table, drinking teas and having mindless conversations about everything and anything. Every year they had a plan, every Christmas they’d tell Phil’s mum what they were thinking about doing for the year. In 2011 they talked about working with the radio more, making it the goal for the year. In 2014 they wanted to branch out and try some gaming videos. In 2015 they started tabinof which took them all the way into Christmas 2016. Last year it was the world tour.

“What’s the goal for this year lads?” Nigel asked.

They looked at each other softly. “We’re taking a break from posting on our gaming channel, Dan wants to post more while I want to change my videos up a bit,” Phil explained.

“And we’re going to be more open,” Dan added.

“You guys are already so open, the only thing that would make it more obvious would be if you yelled ‘we fuck’ at people.” Martyn said nonchalantly, taking a sip of his tea.

Cornelia laughed, Phil look mortified and Dan turned pink. “He’s not wrong, I watch the gaming videos occasionally.” Kath said.

“You’re like that episode of friends where Rachel knows that Monica and Chandler are together and they know she knows but no one’s telling anyone that they know they just keep playing with each other.” Cornelia explained.

“Literally.” Dan said with a smile. They loved that episode, it wasn’t a surprise it was what their lives had become.

“I’m happy for you boys.” Nigel said with a smile.

Phil smiled, it took a long time for his dad to be understanding that it wasn’t a phase and that he’d be with a man for the rest of his life. When that man happened to be Dan it was a lot easier for him, it was a lot easier for everyone to love Dan than he ever expected. He wouldn’t have it any other way. “Thanks, dad.”

“Explain the building a house thing please.” Martyn said after a moment of silence.

“What?” Kath said, peeking her head up.

“Oh,” Phil said anxiously, “we want to build a house. We’ve tried looking a few years ago but nothing felt right and the only way it would be perfect would be if we had it made.”

“And where would you be building it?” Cornelia asked. They were knee deep in renovations at home, they expected her to have lots of questions and worries. She looked after them like a mother more than a sister most of the time.

“We’re not sure. We have been talking to a building and landscaping company and we just have to go lot picking in January.” Dan further explained.

“When in January? I’d love to come look at lots with you if you’d let me.” Kath asked softly.

They looked at each other, contemplating it telepathically. They shrugged and made faces at each other, “I don’t see why not.” Dan said.

“I’ll call you a few days before to let you know and we’ll fly you down.” Phil said.

She smiled so wide. “Is it going to be a big house for the three kids?”

“And the dogs.” Dan said with a smile.

Phil watched as his mum and his future husband just smiled at each other in excitement. He didn’t know who was happier, his mum seeing her son’s dreams come true or Dan getting his dreams finally as well.

 

The walks were nice, spending time in the city was lovely. The alone time on the couch with the fire going in the background was everything he needed and then some. They spent an hour together watching the sunset over the water before Dan really had to leave. The best part of the Isle was the lack of people by Phil’s parents’ home. Leaving them to hold hands while they sat in silence and kiss whenever they wanted to. But it came time for Dan to go, they grabbed his things and called him a taxi. Dan loved being with the Lester’s as long as he could be, but at some point, he had to go home to his original family. They all gave him hugs at the door, wishing him a wonderful Christmas. Kath packed him some pies for him to give his mum.

“You have your present?” Phil asked him one last time before he got into his taxi.

“Yes I do and yours is on the dresser.” he said with a smile.

They had a tradition of opening their gifts Christmas morning on Skype together. And by morning they meant 00:02 am. In just a few hours after Dan landed and took a train and another car to his parents place for the night. It was always weird seeing Dan back in his dust gold and brown room, but it was a nice reminder of how they started.

They hugged and kissed one last time before he was off. He was maybe two minutes down the road when Phil texted him. It was a random emoji, one he’d never seen before. It was Phil for ‘I miss you but I don’t want to say that and seem needy’ and he did it every time they would be apart for a while. No matter what anyone said, five days was a while when you’re not with your soulmate.

They sent random things back and forth to each other until Dan took off, at which point he’d slipped on his headphones and a radiohead album to calm himself in the shaky propeller plane he was on for the next half hour. It seemed to work, it was all he had for the time being so it had to. He didn’t have Phil’s had to hold or his leg to brush up against. It was astounding how codependent he was.

He landed, he got his things and he walked to the train station just down the road. The next train would have him in Wokingham at 9pm, he texted his brother to let him know when they could expect him. He sat on his train alone, replying to some tweets under the last day of dilmas tweet. It felt weird being alone.

He pulled into the station soon after, with all his things he stood on the pavement about to order a cab when his shitty old red car pulled up. Adrian in the front seat and Colin in the passenger side wagging his tale with his tongue out of his mouth. He smiled wide, “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Thought you needed a ride!” he said, getting out to hug his big brother.

Dan held him in his arms a second, it was weird seeing him twice a year and each time he was taller and taller. They had a good relationship, they always did and they always would even if they didn’t talk about each other ever. They were family, they had a bond that reached past socializing on the internet.

“Can I drive?” Dan asked.

“Yeah hop in.” Adrian said, opening the passenger side and sitting with Colin in his lap. Dan sat in the driver's side, giving Colin a good pet before he started the car once more. It had been a while since he’d driven anywhere.

“Remember when you were eleven and we’d go out at night to McDonald's for fries and a milkshake?” Dan asked with a smile on his face.

“Yeah?”

“Want to go again for old times sake?” he asked.

“Yeah, but I’m vegan now remember?”

Dan pulled out of the lot, “Shit yeah you are, we can get sodas instead?” he compromised.

“You can still have one if you want I don’t mind, I’m not an extremist vegan,” he said and they both laughed at the thought of him being one. “I just like how I feel being plant-based.”

“When I do it, I do feel good, I’ll give you that,” Dan explained, “the only thing I don’t think I can give up is eggs cause I really like them in the morning.”

“Yeah that was hard for me too.”

They talked all the way to the drive through, they ordered and talked to the girl in the window, she remembered Adrian from school. Dan paid for both their orders and they listened to music while they drove home, Dan’s fries were in between his legs while he drove so he could eat them and keep both hands on the wheel.

The roads were empty, the little cul de sac he once lived in was quiet and dark. The old people who resided there had all gone to bed, some with their Christmas lights still on in their yards. He pulled up to his old house, the lights in the kitchen were on and his grandma's car was parked on the road still.

They got out of the car, Adrian offered to bring in Dan’s drink and the garbage they had while Dan got his things from the boot. Colin ran up the steps to the door where his mum was waiting with the door open. “You went to McDonald's and didn’t ask if I wanted some fries?” she said.

“I knew you would want some so they’re in the bag.” he said, wrapping his arms around her.

“You’re so skinny.” she said, pulling off him.

“Kath said the same thing before she force fed me mince pies for four days.” he said with a smile.

“Well come in, Nan’s here still to see you before she heads off home and dad’s gone to bed he wasn’t feeling very well,” she explained, taking his bag into the house and having the boys follow behind her.

His nan gave him the biggest hug, squeezing him hard saying it had been forever since she’d seen him. It had only been a little over a month. They all sat and chatted in the kitchen, finishing his milkshake while his mum ate her fries and his nan took one of Kath’s pies before she hit the road. “Tell your other mother this was amazing.”

He smiled at the words ‘other mother’, that’s kind of what she was now. “I’ll text Phil and let her know.”

“Well I’m off. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” she said, leaving a kiss on everyone’s heads before leaving.

“I’m going to head upstairs too, I think.” Dan said softly with a yawn, it was barely 11 but he had already adjusted to the sleep schedule of Phil’s parents place.

“Is that code for Skype Phil till you fall asleep.” Adrian picked fun at him.

“We actually fall asleep and wake up together on Skype, we’re that gross.” he confirmed with a smile. “What time are we doing presents tomorrow?”

His mum was smiling back at him, “probably ten, I think thats when nan said she’d be back.”

“Okay, well, goodnight.” he said, taking his things up to his old room.

He unpacked some things, taking out his toothbrush and his pillow. He also took out Phil’s one gift for him, he set it on his night table and went to brush his teeth. He took a dumb photo of himself in the mirror with his toothbrush in his mouth and sent it to Phil.

Dan: call me whenever you want I’m basically ready

Phil texted back a photo of him brushing his teeth, shirtless with his ugly ass yellow pj bottoms on.

Phil: omg our one brain cell is at it again

It made Dan laugh that they were so in sync, maybe Phil even felt the same ache in his heart at that moment cause they weren’t together. He wouldn’t get a good night kiss or be held while he slept. He wouldn’t have Phil there to kiss him in the morning to tell him it’s time to wake up. Instead he’d have someone knocking at his door and a dog running into to jump on him.

Back in his room he got into his bed, the ugly dark brown comforter was still the same as always. It was soft but lumpy from all the years of use, it smelled like it had been freshly washed along with the pillow cases. He pulled his laptop from his bag and onto his lap. He plugged the chargers into the wall beside his bed, plugging in his phone and laptop for the night.

Phil called him almost as soon as he had unlocked his computer. “Hello love.” Dan answered.

“Don’t you look cute in your old room.” Phil replied with a soft smile on his face.

“Why thank you brown is totally my colour isn’t it.” he joked back.

They were quiet for a moment, just staring at each other. “I miss you.” Phil said softly.

It felt silly, they’d only been apart a few hours but it already hurt. Having a soulmate was cool, but it really hurt when they weren’t together. “I miss you too.”

“It’s almost Christmas.” Phil reminded him, showing Dan’s present to him on the bed beside him.

Dan reached over to his night table and grabbed his present, “next year, when the house is done can we host Christmas so that we don’t have to do this again?”

“That would be nice, your parents can stay with us and mine can stay with Martyn and our mums can cook together.” Phil added, imagining it with Dan. “my mum can make the turkey while yours does the vegan stuff. Cornelia will love having a vegan option next year.” he said with a smile.

Before Dan could reply there was a knock at his door. “Come in.”

“Hi, sorry, your dad doesn’t want Colin on the bed tonight. Can he sleep in here? This is normally where he goes when we kick him out of the room.” his mum asked.

“I could never say no to him. Come here, you good boy!” Dan said in his dog voice, patting the bed for Colin to jump up.

“Say hi to Phil for me when he calls.” she said with a smile.

“He’s here now.”

“Oh,” she said, walking in and over to the bed, “Hello, Phil.”

“Hi, Karen how are you?” Phil said, pulling his sheet up higher so she didn’t see his nipples.

“I’m good thanks, I hope you have a happy Christmas tomorrow say hi to everyone for us,” she said, almost yelling. She still didn’t understand that she didn’t have to yell down the laptop for him to hear her.

“Will do, maybe we can all get together soon,” Phil said, he always loved getting their families together.

“That would be lovely. I’ll leave you boys to talk, love you both goodnight,” she said.

“Love you too,” they replied at the same time, she smiled, closing Dan’s door as she left.

They mindlessly talked till Phil noticed it was 4 minutes after midnight, “you go first.” he insisted.

“Okay,” Dan said, picking up his gift and slowly unwrapping the one edge and ripping the paper down. He couldn’t help smiling, it didn’t matter what it was he was going to love it. All he could see was a white box, he tore the rest of the paper off and flipped it around. “Cherry Blossom Dreams” the box read.

“Open it and smell it,” Phil said.

He pulled the candle out to see a folded piece of paper at the bottom of the box. He shook it out and unfolded it. It was booking confirmation for 2 return flights to Japan in February. “Shut the fuck up,” he said softly, his eyes watering a little.

“We’ll be there from the eleventh to the twentieth,” Phil confirmed.

“I love you,” Dan said softly, putting the candle back in the box. “Open yours.”

Phil didn’t tear it softly, he ripped the wrapping off so fast Dan couldn’t even blink and Phil was already awe-ing over it. “I have more gifts for you at home but I thought you’d like to have that one while you’re away,” Dan said softly watching Phil flip through the pages of the book.

He had sent off all the photos they took this year to a small bookmaking company. All the photos were from tour, ones they posted as well as ones that were just for them and the occasional note was mixed in. It was sappy and gross but he knew Phil loved that shit just as much as he did.

“I love it, Dan, how did you do this?” he asked softly.

“I found a site where you just select two hundred and sixty photos to be printed in a book and I sent all our favorite photos and edited some text onto some of them beforehand. I sent it out in October, it got here just last week,” he explained.

“I love it so much it’s perfect.”

“So are you,” Dan said with a soft smile, making his dimple pop.

“Happy Christmas Dan.”

“Happy Christmas Phil.”

They fell asleep on Skype that night, dreaming of sugar plum fairies and mince pies. It was different from previous Christmas's they shared, this one wasn't full of despair and missing each other but rather the excitement of a new chapter of their lives. This was going to hopefully be the last time they spent a Christmas apart, the last year they were seen as two separate people and the last year they shared everything apart from the last name.


End file.
